Woman dead after being pulled from surf at Werri Beach near Gerringong

A woman has died at an unpatrolled beach on the NSW south coast on Saturday morning, after reportedly being pulled unconscious from the surf by a 13-year-old lifesaver.

The small township of Gerringong and Werri Beach one of the South Coast's best surf beaches, NSW.

An off-duty teenage surf lifesaver reported pulled an unconcious woman from the water at a popular beach on the NSW south coast on Saturday morning.

Emergency services attended an unpatrolled section of Werri Beach near Gerringong which about 9am after reports the woman required help.

Officers from Lake Illawarra Police District arrived to find members of the public and the local surf club conducting CPR before NSW Ambulance paramedics took over.

The 66-year-old woman could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said a report would be prepared for the information of the coroner.

In a statement, Surf Lifesaving NSW said a 13-year-old member was understood to have pulled the woman from the surf, south of Wollongong.

The teen was at the beach at the time but was not undertaking Surf Life Saving duties when they leapt into action to help the woman, who was not breathing.

It comes as Surf Life Saving NSW marks a grim start to the Christmas season, with 34 rescues conducted across the state as of 4pm on Saturday.

On the NSW Mid-North Coast, surf lifesavers pulled an unconscious man from the water at Crescent Head late on Friday afternoon.

The woman was pulled from the surf at Werri Beach, near Gerringong. Picture: Visit NSW

Members performed CPR on the man in an attempt to save his life, before he was taken to Kempsey Hospital where he tragically died.

Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steve Pearce said the dual rescues were a stark warning to take safety seriously this holiday season.

“We’re already seeing these major incidents come through which are devastating for many families at this time of year,” he said.

“Our volunteer lifesavers know that this is a busy time of year for beach visitation and what today and yesterday has shown us is that the lifesavers can only do so much, and it’s up to each individual beachgoer to look out for their own safety too.

“I can only reiterate the message we will be spreading every day throughout the summer – swimming at patrolled locations between the red and yellow flags is the best decision for your safety when you visit the beach.”

The deaths come as thousands of people descend on NSW’s idyllic south coast, including the Illawarra region, for the holiday period.

In March, a 43-year-old woman tragically died after being caught in a rip at Pebbly Beach north of Batemans Bay.

Originally published as Woman dead after being pulled from surf at Werri Beach near Gerringong